Criminal Justice Schools

The University of California at Berkeley established the nation’s first criminal justice school in 1916. Criminal justice programs cover all aspects of law and order, from law enforcement, to the court system, to the prison system. Students may study criminal justice at the associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. There are also many online programs, some of which require a combination of online and regular classes.

Criminal justice schools vary greatly in size and quality. While associate’s degrees are offered by community colleges at a lower cost, other students pay more to attend a private or public university. As mentioned above, there are also plenty of online options. Although these online programs allow students to continue working while in school, it is important to verify that they are accredited programs.

One popular course of study at criminal justice school qualifies students to become a paralegal. Paralegal jobs, which are in high demand by law firms, can offer interesting and varied work. Students may attend a paralegal program after high school and become ready to work within a year or two. However, students who pursue a bachelor’s degree in this field will have more career options In either case, program graduates will need to be certified as a paralegal by the National Association of Legal Assistants before practicing.

Criminal justice schools also prepare many of the nation’s top law enforcement personnel at the local, state and federal levels. For instance, if students want to someday work for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), they should aim to get high grades at one of the nation’s best criminal justice schools.[NOTE: It would be helpful to list the top three of four schools here.]

Criminal Justice School Factors

In the field of criminal justice, advanced education typically translates into greater pay. It is estimated that individuals who have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice earn an average of $15,000 more per year than their non-degreed colleagues.

Criminal justice schools help prepare students for a wide array of professions, including law enforcement, detective work, paralegal positions, court administration, and many others.

Criminal justice schools typically provide students with an overview of government, criminal law, criminal procedure, sociology, white-collar crime, forensics, conflict resolution, diversity, race relations, and government. Most criminal justice schools offer both associate’s degree and bachelor’s degree programs. Some also offer graduate-level courses. Many criminal justice schools offer distance learning and online options as well.

The following are some factors to consider when looking at criminal justice schools:

Curriculum. The program should provide a solid foundation in core criminal justice areas. The course load should be a blend of core courses and electives that will allow the development of a specialization.
Faculty. It is important that the faculty consist of respected criminal justice professionals. Look for faculty members with practical experience. Much can be learned from those who have worked “on the streets” or in a criminal justice field at some point in their career.
Career placement. Talk to the placement counselors to find out how many criminal justice graduates secure employment upon graduation. Criminal justice schools typically develop relationships with local and national government agencies to help graduates find employment.
Accreditation. Make sure the school has received the appropriate accreditation. Many schools may say they are accredited; however, confirm with the accrediting organization and verify that it indeed is accredited. If the school does not have proper accreditation status, prospective employers may not recognize a degree from that school.

Criminal Justice Careers

A career in criminal justice can be exciting and personally fulfilling. Most criminal justice careers involve some level of risk and a great deal of action. It is an ideal career choice for people who want to make a difference in society, and who like to be involved and part of positive changes. Those who are most successful in criminal justice careers are individuals who have outstanding communication skills, integrity, physical strength, and stamina.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 880,000 Americans held criminal justice careers in 2008. Approximately 79 percent of those jobs were with local governments.

Criminal justice careers fall into a few different categories. There is law enforcement at the local level, including police officer, criminologist, or animal cruelty officer. Alternatively, there are jobs in federal law enforcement and agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), or for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In the U.S., bilingual (most commonly English and Spanish) candidates and those who have military training, typically have better federal law enforcement opportunities than English-only speaking candidates, and those with no military service.

Another employment path for those interested in a criminal justice career can be found in court administration. Criminal justice careers in court administration include job titles such as: probation officer, bailiff, court clerk,or correctional officer. There are also many career path opportunities in forensics, such as crime scene examiner.

A criminal justice career can also be found in the private sector. Companies and individuals often hire private security officers and private investigators to help detect crimes, civil injustices, or to provide insights into domestic or business partner disputes.

Criminal justice jobs require a high school diploma; however, given the increased complexity in most criminal justice fields more employers require advanced degrees. In addition, many employers provide incentive programs to encourage existing criminal justice employees to seek additional classroom training. This helps the employer ensure that employees are current on the latest crime-fighting techniques and technology.

Jobs in criminal justice vary widely, and so does the pay. The following are some useful statistics. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for police and sheriff patrol officers is $51,410 a year; private investigators and detectives earn an average of $60,910 a year.